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garbutch's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Classism, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Transphobia
Moderate: Medical content, Transphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, and Sexual violence
katrinaeames's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is emotional and plot-driven. It is a book with characters that actually feel like teenagers - teenagers who are imperfect humans, occasionally self-centered, self-righteous, and irritating. People who make mistakes even when they're trying their best.
That said, it is a white queer book. Aside from our love interest, the non-white characters don't really have as much depth as the white characters. And although I am happy to bash the anti-Asian racism that is the entire premise of Thourghly Modern Millie any day of the week, alluding to the racism of the show that will likely still have thousands of high school productions this year is not a stand-in for actually looking at the way race is impacting the people in the narrative here. This novel can look at the glaring and obvious examples of racism, but it doesn't handle the topic of race with any real nuance.
I would also say as someone who works in politics - the dream of a high schooler to move to DC, become a member of congress, and change the world is relatable; but the constant dismissal of other theories of change, of work that makes a difference in our communities everyday, and the way that Finch's stubbornness caused them to look down on doing actual political work was disappointing at best. It presents a narrative that I think harms teenagers' ability to see themselves taking action.
I think this is a book that tries. It could have been better. At its core this is a friends-to-lovers YA romance that feels a bit rushed in places. But the first-person POV let's us really dig into the feelings and complicated relationships of a support system that exists even when you don't feel like you have a lot of support.
That said, it is a white queer book. Aside from our love interest, the non-white characters don't really have as much depth as the white characters. And although I am happy to bash the anti-Asian racism that is the entire premise of Thourghly Modern Millie any day of the week, alluding to the racism of the show that will likely still have thousands of high school productions this year is not a stand-in for actually looking at the way race is impacting the people in the narrative here. This novel can look at the glaring and obvious examples of racism, but it doesn't handle the topic of race with any real nuance.
I would also say as someone who works in politics - the dream of a high schooler to move to DC, become a member of congress, and change the world is relatable; but the constant dismissal of other theories of change, of work that makes a difference in our communities everyday, and the way that Finch's stubbornness caused them to look down on doing actual political work was disappointing at best. It presents a narrative that I think harms teenagers' ability to see themselves taking action.
I think this is a book that tries. It could have been better. At its core this is a friends-to-lovers YA romance that feels a bit rushed in places. But the first-person POV let's us really dig into the feelings and complicated relationships of a support system that exists even when you don't feel like you have a lot of support.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Biphobia
Minor: Vomit
kahi_cow's review
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, and Homophobia
maxwell7373's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I picked this book up randomly at a book store and had hoped for this to be good rep, but unfortunately it was a mess for me. The main character is very flawed and often is rude or acts like he knows better than others. I had hoped this would be brought up as a big negative of his actions, but nope. His mistakes and flaws really end up being glazed over, and he doesn’t learn much at the end. Most of the characters were a stereotype of some sort, some more in your face than others. The trans aspect was quite relatable for me, but the rest of it was disappointing and harmful. There is some good in there, but it’s grossly outweighed by the constant undertones of racial stereotypes and general (snootiness? self righteousness?) of the main character. I’m planning on painting over the book and turning it into a decorative box -because I don’t like wasting- and really, really don’t recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Sexual content, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Outing
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Racism
daycia's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Transphobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia and Vomit
anniereads221's review
1.0
Dont read this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Racism, Hate crime, Outing, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Violence, and Vomit
annalee_brant29's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Deadnaming
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to think of this book. For me, it was a pretty quick read and the premise is really interesting. However, there is A LOT going on in this book, and the author doesn't necessarily handle everything well. It almost felt like the author wanted to throw as many hot button topics as he could in this book, which mean that a lot of them (especially issues about race) fell through the cracks.
There are a lot of other reviews on here that talk about these issues better than I can, so definitely look them up! If you decide to pick this up, know going in that there's a lot of transphobia, racism, and homophobia. Proceed with caution!
There are a lot of other reviews on here that talk about these issues better than I can, so definitely look them up! If you decide to pick this up, know going in that there's a lot of transphobia, racism, and homophobia. Proceed with caution!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
jenny_librarian's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It's both a hard-hitting and uplifting book. It hits where few other books about trans characters do, like how slow getting through a second puberty is or how painful waiting for surgery can be on a daily basis. There are many small instances of dysphoria that will make cis people understand just how debilitating it can be. A big part of Finch's anxiety seems to stem from his worry about being misgendered and not passing, and it takes multiple interventions from multiple people to get it through his head that he's worth it.
I love how supportive his friends are throughout the book and how nobody questions his identity or misgenders him (not even his parents). It's the classic thing we see in trans stories and it's nice to read a book where that is not an issue.
I was hoping for an aro (or at least ace) character, but that's not where it went. Contrarily to Felix Ever After, though, I don't feel like this book diminished any of the other relationships. It's not that Finch doesn't feel worth it until he's with someone romantically, it's just that his body doesn't feel safe enough to let himself be attracted to someone else that way. And I think it's an important distinction that - while just as ground-breaking - Kacen Callender didn't manage to show in their book.
The depiction of poverty (to that extent) isn't pictured all that much in YA, and I appreciated the contrast between Finch's family life and his friends. His sibling relationship with Ruby was very well depicted too. I like that his parents didn't get a redemption arc. It made things more realistic and showed how the other people in his life came through in ways they couldn't.
I'm still waiting for that triple A threat story (Agender/Aromantic/Asexual), or any kind of trans or gender non-conforming aroace book, but this was a pretty good read to wait with.
It's both a hard-hitting and uplifting book. It hits where few other books about trans characters do, like how slow getting through a second puberty is or how painful waiting for surgery can be on a daily basis. There are many small instances of dysphoria that will make cis people understand just how debilitating it can be. A big part of Finch's anxiety seems to stem from his worry about being misgendered and not passing, and it takes multiple interventions from multiple people to get it through his head that he's worth it.
I love how supportive his friends are throughout the book and how nobody questions his identity or misgenders him (not even his parents). It's the classic thing we see in trans stories and it's nice to read a book where that is not an issue.
I was hoping for an aro (or at least ace) character, but that's not where it went. Contrarily to Felix Ever After, though, I don't feel like this book diminished any of the other relationships. It's not that Finch doesn't feel worth it until he's with someone romantically, it's just that his body doesn't feel safe enough to let himself be attracted to someone else that way. And I think it's an important distinction that - while just as ground-breaking - Kacen Callender didn't manage to show in their book.
The depiction of poverty (to that extent) isn't pictured all that much in YA, and I appreciated the contrast between Finch's family life and his friends. His sibling relationship with Ruby was very well depicted too. I like that his parents didn't get a redemption arc. It made things more realistic and showed how the other people in his life came through in ways they couldn't.
I'm still waiting for that triple A threat story (Agender/Aromantic/Asexual), or any kind of trans or gender non-conforming aroace book, but this was a pretty good read to wait with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Transphobia, Vomit, and Homophobia
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